


The Fire of Courage

by Hatty1492



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brotherly Love, Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Healing, Hospitalization, Implied Relationships, Major Character Injury, Miles "Tails" Prower Needs a Hug, One Shot, Personal Growth, Post-Sonic Forces, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Short One Shot, Sonic Forces
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25436947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hatty1492/pseuds/Hatty1492
Summary: This is a tale of an alternate universe within the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. After defeating Eggman and his army in Sonic Forces, the gang gets separated and one little fox feels regret for his lack of involvement with activity in defeating Eggman. In this one-shot story, Tails learns to grow out of his cowardice once more and to gain the bravery back he used to have.
Relationships: Cream the Rabbit/Miles "Tails" Prower
Kudos: 11





	The Fire of Courage

High above the ground, dwelling in the sky, there lies a fortress. Or, what’s left of a fortress. There is soot and smoke coming out of the top of the once mighty beacon of destruction, and the rubble continues to increase as the fortress grows and grows in dilapidation. As the smoke continues to fly into the sky and darken the expanse, there’s a small creature lying at the bottom of the fortress, on the shore that’s adjacent to the mountain. There is red, black, and blue all over his little body as he comes to his senses. He shakes his head and grips his cranium. “Ugh… what happened?” He attempts to stand but there’s a searing pain that shoots through his left leg. He grips onto it tightly as he kneels slightly. As his eyes peer up, they widen as well. “We… won. We actually won!” 

The smile on the young fox’s face suddenly fades. “But… what about… the others?” He takes a few glances around him, slowly. His vision is still a little blurry. One shape looks like an ally when really, it’s a piece of rubble. Another is just a rock. His head begins to spin as he holds both of his hands to the sides of his head. “I need to rest. Maybe I can find some place to heal.” The fox child begins to limp yet go as fast as he can towards the closest main road, which is a few good miles away. A sense of dread fills his heart, but strength and willpower fill it even more. 

The sun begins to set as he finally reaches the road. There’s a light breeze in the air and it’s a nice, temperate evening despite the smog flowing in the air. His shiny blue eyes notice a red cross on top of a building in the nearest city. The destination is due north for 2 miles, and his feet to begin moving slightly faster. He would use the power of flight, but his twin tails seem to be beaten up and dirtied from front to back. His body continues to be covered in dirt as he hobbles as fast as he can to the nearest medical center. As the hospital grows closer and closer, there’s a newspaper that flies through the wind. It brushes up against Tails’ injured leg, and he slowly bends down to pick it up and read. The genius fox’s eyes grow wide and his entire face turns pale. As he reads the top headline, his body begins to shake. “EGGMAN DEFEATED AND PEACE RESTORED. NO SIGNS OF THE RESISTANCE TEAM. EVERY MEMBER PRESUMED MISSING OR DEAD.” The paper is dated as the day before. 

His sky-blue eyes then go blank, like his soul was ripped right out of him. He slowly walks through molasses over to the other side of the road. There is a vast ocean next to the road and the now destroyed Eggman Empire Fortress. He grips the guard rail with all the might he can muster. “It can’t be, no… Amy?! Knuckles?! SONIC?!” His knees buckle under his weight. The world turns silent as a void of darkness surrounds him. He kneels deeper and closer to the ground as if he’s praying. “Please… please be safe… if my friends are still alive, please let them reach safety…” As tears escape his eyes, he collapses and hits the ground. The injuries continue to take their toll, as a siren sounds in the distance. Travelers begin to gather alongside the road and marvel. The screen fades. 

\---

The faded screen becomes bright again. The young fox boy notices the position he’s in is not the one he was in before. There’s an IV tube running into his right arm, with bandages covering his body. There are a few beeping noises going on in the room, and he struggles to use his free arm. He rubs his head gently, as his yellow fur sheds slightly. Then, with the pre-occupied arm, there also seems to be a hand holding onto his. As he slowly opens his eyes, he sees a familiar face. Joy enters his mind briefly as he holds onto her hand tighter. “Cream… it’s you.” 

The young rabbit can’t contain herself. All of her emotions spill over as she tries to dry her eyes, but to no avail. “I’m s-so g-g-glad you’re o-okay. I’m sorry.” She quickly runs over to grab the tissues, and as she runs up to grab the box, a nurse runs in to check the commotion. “I can see that you’re awake now. Your friend here was worried sick about you, and rightfully so.” Tails shakes his head, and the gears begin to turn. “Did I faint? I was walking… right?” He takes a short breath as the nurse nods. Then, life seems to come alive within his soul. “My friends… Sonic! And the others… are they alright?!” The nurse presses her lips together and bites the bottom one. “I’m not sure about your friends. They could’ve escaped without injuries and still have to be found, or maybe they’re at another hospital. Don’t lose hope, buddy. I’ll be back to check up on you soon and make sure your IV bag is working properly.” 

Cream presses her shoe into the ground. Her fur is standing on its end. Tails goes to reach out to her, and she recognizes it and holds hands with him again. “Have you seen the news, Cream? How about your mom? Does she know?” The young rabbit shakes her head. “No. I’m so sorry, Tails. I wish I could tell you more, but everyone else in the resistance is still missing. Mr. Sonic, Knuckles, Espio, Mr. Vector, Amy…” her voices trails off as she takes a sip of water from her cup on the table beside her. It seems to be old and rickety; in need of replacing. “I know you’re really worried about your friends in the resistance, especially Mr. Sonic. He’s looked after you ever since you two met. But I’m sure he’ll be fine! He always finds a way to get out of a jam.” 

Tails’ brow mispositions and he looks down at his chest. The rooms goes silent for a few seconds. “Is everything alright, Tails? I hope you’re feeling alright, I mean, feeling as best as you can.” Three words came out of the young fox’s mouth. “I’m a failure.” His young friend shakes her head and raises the volume in her voice. “No, don’t say that! You were part of the resistance! You helped rescue Sonic and defeat the evil in the world! And, we’re already getting better! You did so much!” Tails shook his head again. “My inventions may have helped… but what good does it do when you cower in fear and cry out to your best friend to help you, when he’s already been through a lot? Besides, I thought I was braver than that. Remember when Shadow hated our guts? Or that time when Eggman built an amusement park to trick everyone into thinking he reformed? I was brave then… why not now?” He droops his ears and begins to get emotional. “I was a coward. I’m no hero. I could’ve been so much stronger and so much smarter. Instead, I let Sonic down. I let my whole team down. I was barely of any use this time. I want to believe in myself again, but…” He goes to sit up in his hospital bed slightly, with more adrenaline flowing. “How can I call myself a hero when I can’t even help my friends as I should?” 

His rabbit friend leans towards him. “It’s not your fault. You still helped guide Sonic when you reached the fortress, I’m sure. It was all over the news! You did great Tails, and you should be proud!” The fox boy continues to avert his eyes. “Do good friends repay the debt they leave behind? Or do they cower and let things happen without any guts to do something about it?” Cream’s eyes continue to grow in sorrow. “Tails… you are not a failure. I bet you did all you could to help. I know I would’ve been scared at first, too! Maybe you just aren’t remembering things right. Can you tell me what happened right after the explosion? When you all defeated Eggman?” 

His yellow and white ears begin to twitch a little. “I’m not sure… I need to think for a little bit. I’ve been in and out of consciousness a couple of times over the past 2 days.” The sweet, innocent rabbit begins to speak as if she’s setting up a dialogue. “How about outside the fortress? Did you ever get to see the inside? How did you all bring down Eggman?” He nods slightly as his brain awakens a little more. “Well, I guided Sonic inside and mapped out the entire blueprint of the fortress. Then, once Sonic got around the weaponry, and…” as he tries to think of more items, Cream’s head begins to nod faster. “And, you kept listening to him outside?” The fox’s large brain continues to recall memories. “Uh… no, actually! We all went inside and ambushed Eggman and his army. Then, we fought and won. But… things get fuzzy after that.” Cream raises an eyebrow. “Wasn’t that younger, and um… rounder version of Sonic with you guys? Where was he?” The lightbulb continues to grow in strength. “Oh, yeah! He was there. But, as soon as we won, he began to fade and go back to his own timeline. But, our work wasn’t…” The fox stops talking again. He’s rubbing his temples now, but the discontinuity continues. “It’s ok, Tails. Take your time. Here, having a sip of water may help you.” She holds the other cup of water in the room up to Tails’ mouth, and he grabs it gently and drinks. “Wait, Cream… there’s one last part. It’s finally coming to me now!” The rabbit’s eyes light up with excitement. “Oh wow, Tails! Tell me, what happens next?” 

The fox boy goes to speak, but no words come out. His increasingly optimistic complexion suddenly sours. “Cream, I…I.” “Yes, Tails? Is something wrong? Are you alright? Does your head hurt? Do you need a nurse to check up on you?” “No Cream, but thank you. I just…” 

\---

There are alarms blaring within the fortress of Eggman. As the different members of the resistance glance around their battlefield, their fearless stubborn leader shouts “EVERYONE, GET OUT! THIS PLACE IS GONNA BLOW!” The red echidna captain points the resistance to the nearest exit hallway, waiting until the others are ahead of him before he pursuits. As he glides through the air, some of the last remaining Metal Sonic robot copies begin attacking. These seem to not be an illusion but made of nothing but metal, ingenuity, and callousness. As they are running, the flames from the battle chamber grow closer and closer to the crew. The blue blur and his best friend are at the front of the pack, and the older brother shouts to his friend, “TAILS! Don’t worry about the rest of us, take this speed boost, and get out of here!” The young fox buddy turns around as he flies and sweat begins to pour down his scalp. “But… S-Sonic! You can’t! You need to keep yourself safe; we need you!” The blue hero continues to reject Tails’ advice. “Little buddy, you need to take this! I want you to be safe! I only have one of these and you need it the most!” As his friend tries to hand him the speed boost power, Tails reneges and tries to give it back to Sonic. “Sonic… we need a hero like you. I’m no hero.” But, the hedgehog has different ideas. “I couldn’t have defeated Eggman without you, little buddy. You need it the most… here.” As the flames grow around them, Sonic forces the power onto his best friend and the twin-tailed fox flies forward at record-breaking speed. Tails is no longer in control of his movement, while all the while Tails becomes the movement itself. Behind him, the rest of the resistance continues to fly out of the tunnel at the edge of the fortress one by one… Vector, Amy, Charmy, Espio, Silver, Knuckles, and finally… Sonic. The fastest thing alive escapes the tunnel quickly but is blown in a direction that is opposite of Tails’ trajectory. The others fly out behind Sonic and fall in all opposite directions. As Tails falls away from his friend and as the resistance fly all over the island in which the Eggman fortress used to stand, the pain in his whole body continues to grow in pain. As Sonic falls the farthest away from the fortress, he notices an identical blue body falling with him. He peers at the explosion before his eyes close as he falls through the air, feeling his limbs ache and his speed boost power waning off. His body hits the floor and there is unrest in the atmosphere.

\---

His rabbit friend shakes him awake. “Tails, are you okay?! You fell asleep for a few minutes! You poor thing; you must be exhausted.” The young fox stares at the wall for a few seconds and struggles to get up from his bed. The young, polite rabbit tries to contain him within the place of rest and recovery. “But, Tails! What are you doing? You can’t just get up and leave! You have cuts and bruises all over your body. And, your leg is broken, too!” He takes the IV and snatches it out of his arm. With slightly strained breath, he gets out of bed and speaks his mind. “I have unfinished business. Something tells me that Sonic is still alive. I need to save him.” Cream then pulls on the short fox’s arm, with a light tug. “Tails, please… stay here. I care about you so much, and I want you to be safe. I don’t want you to get hurt again.” The young rabbit blushes as Tails looks in both directions and prepares to run across the hall down the stairwell. “Cream… I’ll be alright. I’ll be right back, ok?” 

Before she can speak another word, the young fox goes through one of the doors down the stairwell as fast as he can. Going from floor to floor, he bursts out the window and moves as quickly as possible, considering the cast on his fractured femur. Interestingly enough, he’s going faster than before. The adrenaline and IV chemicals work their magic as he travels many miles up the road, towards the rubble. He closes in onto the site where Sonic and the other sonic fell, and he peers down and notices a metallic body, covered in blue paint. 

A few minutes before Tails arrives, the metal version of Sonic rises from the ashes. Heavily damaged, the red eyes seem to still be glowing slightly. He clenches his fists together slowly and brushes off his bent and damaged shell. His bolts needed oiling, but he manages to move his joints slowly anyway. The longer he warms up his metal limbs, the faster his limbs move. He hovers in circles around the small beach and his rockets within his shoes grow stronger and stronger. The villainous robot slows his momentum and stops in place. His head slowly turns as he notices an unconscious blue hero many feet away, on the beach. His hand begins to spin as the robot prepares to land a strike and finish his mission. 

As the fox boy slightly hobbles down towards the site, the metallic sonic hears the footsteps behind him and he turns around to face the fox kid. There is a laugh that emits from his programmed mouth as the false Sonic places himself in front of the real Sonic, with his back, turned to his arch-nemesis. He then speaks to the fox boy. “Ah, so you came back to finish the job? That’s pretty rich, coming from a coward like you.” Tails’ brow deepens as he clenches his fists as tight as he can and readies his wrench that’s in his back pocket. “I’m not running away anymore. I believe that I can do this, no matter how many bandages I have on my body. Even if my best friend is… well, no matter what I’m going to defeat you! Eggman’s evil didn’t last, and neither will yours!” The young fox buddy coughs a little as he inches towards Metal Sonic. “Ooooh, you think you’re healthy enough to fight? The comedic moments keep rolling.” Tails shakes his head. “You shouldn’t be talking. You’re one step away from demolition.” 

Metal Sonic slowly yet forcefully throws out a metal fist. Tails blocks with his wrench and throws a punch back at Metal Sonic. The metallic blue blur goes for a roundhouse kick, but Tails is merely scrapped on the ear and counters with a hit to Metal Sonic’s belly. The two continue to cross blows; with little strength yet much gusto. As the sun rises to its highest peak, the fake Sonic gets ready to release a rocket punch. “It’s time to finish this. You’re as good as dead, just like all of your other pathetic friends.” As Tails prepares to defend, a real blue blur speeds up the beach and lands a punishing homing attack onto his rival. The bot falls backward and begins to spark. As Metal Sonic’s head shakes profusely, gibberish flies out of his mouth as he shuts down. 

“…S-SONIC! You’re alive!” The fox’s best friend turns to him and gives him a weak thumbs up. “Heh… in the flesh. I always find a way to get out of a jam.” After giving the witty retort, he falls to the ground. His best friend rushes to his side to help him up. “Oh, Sonic! Please, stay with me. I just got you back.” The young fox friend begins to feel the water flowing down his face. He closes his eyes and thinks, and then it occurs to him. “Wait… I’ve been able to build complex machines out of scrap metal before… all I need is to build a communication device.” He slowly limps around the beach and gathers supplies littered across the beach and places them all together right beside Sonic. After taking a few minutes to mound and pound the machine together, it’s all connected together into a telephone tower. The genius fox presses a big red button on the front of the machine, and sends the message “SOS.” As the ambulances come and send the two best friends to the hospital, Tails looks at the sky and breathes a heavy sigh. “It happened. I’m so glad. My friend is alive.” 

\---

A few hours later, Tails and Cream are spending some time together in Tails’ hospital room. There’s an aura of peace around the young fox boy as he rests his body once more. There is an expression of jubilance on the rabbit’s face. “I’m so glad you’re alright! You’re the bravest fox I know!” She goes in to gently hug Tails, and he rubs the back of his head gently. “Aww, hehe. Thanks, Cream.” The two return to their original positions, when Tails’ eyes glance towards the ceiling. “I always want to be the best friend that I can be. Sometimes I don’t feel good enough and I get down on myself, but after today, I’ve thought…” He takes a moment as Cream leans in towards him again. “What is it, Tails?” “Heck, maybe I’m better than I think. I don’t want to be prideful, but I don’t want to forget that I have shown that I’m stronger than I may think. I don’t want to beat myself up when it isn’t helpful. Do you think that makes sense?” Cream nods and holds his hand tightly as the two smile at each other. However, there’s a moment in which Cream’s smile fades a little. “Do you think… do you think the others will be alright?” Tails strokes his chin slowly and stares her down. “With as stubborn like Knuckles and as determined as Amy and as strong as Vector? Of course, they’ll be alright. Let’s just be patient and keep hope alive.” Cream nods in agreement as they turn on the television in the corner of the room to rest and relax as the blue blur sleeps soundly in the neighboring room.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this short story! I wanted to write about Tails for two reasons. One, he's my favorite Sonic character because I relate to him and he's so adorable and likable that I can't help but love him. Secondly, his character needed to be written far better in Sonic Forces. The little fox buddy is known for being timid and a little cowardly early on in the Sonic series' life, but grows in bravery and courage during the series. However, he takes a big step back in Forces and becomes wimpy and lacks the motivation to fend for himself. It felt like his character development was ignored, so this one-shot helps my favorite Sonic character get back to where he should be. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. I know I enjoyed writing it.


End file.
